Code black, code red minutes trending down for 2024, EMS chief reports
CBC
The number of minutes when there are no ambulances available for service in Windsor-Essex is expected to trend dramatically downward this year, Essex-Windsor EMS says, following a sweeping effort to increase staffing and service levels.
In a mid-year update to Essex County council, the service reports that code black and code red minutes are trending downward as a result of adding more paramedics, ambulances and in-hospital resources to help combat the problem.
Essex-Windsor EMS chief Justin Lammers told councillors the service is anticipating a 71 per cent decrease in code black minutes this year over 2023.
In 2022, the region spent 2,272 minutes in code black. That number is expected to be about 492 minutes this year, according to EMS projections.
The number of minutes in code red is also expected to decrease by 21 per cent.
A code black indicates a time when there are no ambulances available. A code red indicates that there are only between one and three ambulances available to respond to calls.
Overall call volumes are expected to rise this year, Lammers told councillors, as is the number of high-acuity calls. But the number of lower acuity calls (known as Code 3s) is expected to decrease, because of the community paramedicine program and efforts other health partners.
LISTEN: Essex-Windsor EMS declared a state of emergency over a shortage of ambulances in October 2023
Offload delay hours have trended downward this year, reaching below 2023 levels in March and April. Offload delays refer to the time ambulances spend waiting at hospitals with patients. Use of the paramedic offload program is also down, EMS data shows: Used just 15 times in May and nine times in April, down from a high of 173 times in November 2023.
"These are both great indicators and we will continue to monitor the work, but it does not stop here," Lammers said.
May was the busiest month of 2024 for the service so far, Lammers noted. The service bucked the downward trend on code red and black minutes, though the result was still improved over January 2024.
Lammers noted that May was an unusually busy month and while data for June is not reflected in the report because of council timelines, it was more normal month.
It was a report councillors said they were happy to read.
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